Civil War in Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky

Cape Girardeau, Cairo, Mound City, Paducah, New Madrid, along th﻿e continent's largest rivers, gave Southeast Missouri and surroun﻿ding area a significant role in the Civil War.

Missouri was officially neutral, but sent men, armies, generals, and supplies to both sides, had its star on both flags and separate governments representing each side. It endured a neighbor-against-neighbor intrastate war within the larger national war.

Missouri supplied nearly 110,000 troops to the Union and about 40,000 troops for the Confederate Army. There were battles and skirmishes in all areas of the state. Counting minor engagements, actions and skirmishes, Missouri saw over 1,200 distinct fights.

DVD "August Light: Wilson's Creek and the Battle for Missouri" is a very well produced documentary - can be instantly watched on Amazon for a couple dollars. Covers the main people, issues, battles of the state.

Image below shows construction of Fort A - overlooking downtown from north. Broken windmill was a landmark which ground grain before the war. See St. Charles Hotel between tents in center. Steeple-belfry further downriver is St. Vincent's seminary, now River Campus for Music and Arts of Southeast Missouri State University.